190 L. M. Dybdahl and E. J. Iversen
laboratories and private enterprises. Examples from the literature include
the important roles that venture capital or collaborative centres housed at
universities play in certain contexts. We focus on a comprehensive set of
research and innovation projects financed by a central funding instrument
of the bio- based economy in Norway, namely the Bionær programme
organised by the Research Council of Norway (see also below).
b What disciplines and capabilities make up the knowledge- base? This question
addresses the ‘human capital’ dimension of bioeconomic research more
directly, in terms of the knowledge that researchers and others have accumulated in their educations and their professional careers. At this second
level we utilise the CVs of researchers who are participating in Bionær
projects. Following earlier work in other contexts, we use CVs by
analysing the fields and disciplines that the researchers represent as well
as other aspects of their current positions and their educational
backgrounds.
The underlying argument of our approach is that publicly funded research
and innovation programmes are important instruments, especially for a formative meta- sector such as the bioeconomy. Public policy interventions
expressly seek to promote the creation, dissemination and accumulation of
new knowledge in this context. One result is that the projects they support
bring together one of the leading edges of the research community. We
proceed on the assumption that by using the comprehensive information
from this central funding instrument, we can learn more about the types of
knowledge that are involved and how they interrelate. This is seen as an
important endeavour since there appears to be a lack of consensus around
what types of research areas the bioeconomy is based on (see Chapter 2 and
Bugge, Hansen & Klitkou, 2016) and since it could help direct future public
policies.
The chapter is organised as follows: the next section discusses the role of
knowledge starting from the evolutionary economics and extending to the
science and technology studies (STS) literature which informs our empirical
approach. We go on to present our approach, introducing some generic
aspects about CVs as an analytical lens. This lays the basis for our presentation
of what this approach tells us about the knowledge base and how it is organised. We will then conclude with suggestions for future research, emphasising
CVs as a promising data source that should be explored further.
10.2 Background
The creation, diffusion and use of knowledge are of course fundamental in
advanced economies. Their importance has long been recognised, particularly
in the heterodox literature by authors such as Freeman (1995), Nelson (1993)
and Lundvall (1992). Improving the frameworks that promote knowledge
processes has been a central focus of a range of literature such as systems
laboratories and private enterprises. Examples from the literature include
the important roles that venture capital or collaborative centres housed at
universities play in certain contexts. We focus on a comprehensive set of
research and innovation projects financed by a central funding instrument
of the bio- based economy in Norway, namely the Bionær programme
organised by the Research Council of Norway (see also below).
b What disciplines and capabilities make up the knowledge- base? This question
addresses the ‘human capital’ dimension of bioeconomic research more
directly, in terms of the knowledge that researchers and others have accumulated in their educations and their professional careers. At this second
level we utilise the CVs of researchers who are participating in Bionær
projects. Following earlier work in other contexts, we use CVs by
analysing the fields and disciplines that the researchers represent as well
as other aspects of their current positions and their educational
backgrounds.
The underlying argument of our approach is that publicly funded research
and innovation programmes are important instruments, especially for a formative meta- sector such as the bioeconomy. Public policy interventions
expressly seek to promote the creation, dissemination and accumulation of
new knowledge in this context. One result is that the projects they support
bring together one of the leading edges of the research community. We
proceed on the assumption that by using the comprehensive information
from this central funding instrument, we can learn more about the types of
knowledge that are involved and how they interrelate. This is seen as an
important endeavour since there appears to be a lack of consensus around
what types of research areas the bioeconomy is based on (see Chapter 2 and
Bugge, Hansen & Klitkou, 2016) and since it could help direct future public
policies.
The chapter is organised as follows: the next section discusses the role of
knowledge starting from the evolutionary economics and extending to the
science and technology studies (STS) literature which informs our empirical
approach. We go on to present our approach, introducing some generic
aspects about CVs as an analytical lens. This lays the basis for our presentation
of what this approach tells us about the knowledge base and how it is organised. We will then conclude with suggestions for future research, emphasising
CVs as a promising data source that should be explored further.
10.2 Background
The creation, diffusion and use of knowledge are of course fundamental in
advanced economies. Their importance has long been recognised, particularly
in the heterodox literature by authors such as Freeman (1995), Nelson (1993)
and Lundvall (1992). Improving the frameworks that promote knowledge
processes has been a central focus of a range of literature such as systems